Despite Waymo robotaxis becoming a visible presence across Los Angeles, adoption remains surprisingly low. Only 5% of LA County residents have taken a driverless vehicle in the past year, compared to 28% who regularly use traditional ridehailing apps like Uber and Lyft, according to a new USC survey published this week. The finding reveals a significant gap between the technology's visibility and its actual use among the general public.

Why Aren't More People Taking Waymo Robotaxis?

The reasons for low adoption are multifaceted and reveal both practical and psychological barriers. Kyla Thomas, a sociologist who directs the LABarometer survey at USC, noted that while she sees Waymos constantly in her own Culver City neighborhood, the broader county population has been slow to embrace the technology. Several factors are contributing to this hesitation.

Safety perception remains a significant hurdle. When asked about comfort levels, 27% of survey respondents felt safe driving themselves, compared to just 9% who felt safe in a robotaxi and 12% who felt safe in a traditional ridehailing vehicle.

"Waymos have not reached, in terms of safety, the comfort level that people feel in their own car," Thomas explained.

Kyla Thomas, Sociologist, USC LABarometer

This perception gap suggests that even as the technology improves, building public confidence will require more than just operational reliability.

Geographic limitations also play a major role in suppressing demand. Waymo's service area remains restricted to specific neighborhoods and does not yet serve major airports, the San Fernando Valley, the San Gabriel Valley, Southeast LA, or most of the rest of LA County. For a region as sprawling as Los Angeles, this limited coverage means most residents cannot access the service even if they wanted to try it.

What Are the Key Barriers to Waymo Adoption in LA?

• Limited Service Area: Waymo does not operate in major airports, the San Fernando Valley, San Gabriel Valley, or Southeast LA, restricting access for most county residents.
• Safety Concerns: Only 9% of survey respondents felt safe in a robotaxi, compared to 27% who felt safe driving themselves, indicating a significant trust gap.
• Convenience and Availability: Traditional ridehailing services like Uber and Lyft have wider coverage and more established networks, making them the default choice for most people.
• Lack of Competition: Waymo currently has no robotaxi competitors offering rides to the public in the LA region, limiting consumer choice and potentially slowing adoption.

The survey also highlighted an interesting demographic difference regarding safety from harassment. Women reported feeling significantly safer in a Waymo compared to Uber or Lyft, while men perceived only minor differences between the services. This suggests that the absence of a human driver may be a meaningful advantage for some riders, even if overall adoption remains low.

What Does This Mean for Waymo's Future in Los Angeles?

The data raises important questions about how the robotaxi market will evolve. Waymo currently operates roughly 1,000 self-driving taxis in the Bay Area and is active in 11 urban areas, providing over half a million paid trips weekly. Despite this scale, the LA numbers suggest that visibility and operational presence do not automatically translate to widespread adoption.

Thomas noted a small decline in traditional ridehailing use over the past year and expressed curiosity about whether Waymo might be responsible for that shift.

"We see a small drop in use of traditional ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft in the last year. I wonder if Waymo is responsible for that, are we going to see Waymo slowly replace these? Or how will perceptions of safety evolve? I'm very, very curious to keep tracking that," Thomas observed.

Kyla Thomas, Sociologist, USC LABarometer

For context, the overwhelming majority of LA County residents still rely on private vehicles for transportation. The survey found that 91% of respondents were drivers or passengers in private cars, by far the most common method of transportation. Walking, skateboards, and kick scooters were used by 30% of respondents, placing them as the second most common category. This suggests that the real competition for Waymo may not be traditional ridehailing apps, but rather the deeply ingrained habit of personal car ownership.

As Waymo considers expanding its service area to reach more of LA County, the company faces a dual challenge: expanding geographic coverage while simultaneously building public confidence in the technology. The USC survey suggests that neither visibility nor operational scale alone will drive adoption. Instead, the company will need to address safety perceptions, expand to underserved areas, and compete against the entrenched preference for personal vehicle ownership. The next phase of Waymo's LA expansion will likely reveal whether these barriers can be overcome through service improvements and broader availability.